With its usual focus on optimization, the chip vendor now provides the Atom 45-nanometer processor, with minimal energy consumption and better performance. Intel claims a 20% reduction in power consumption over Atom's predecessor. Integrated graphics and memory management for the first time in a CPU do the rest and allow for a smaller form factor. Said differently, the memory controller eliminates one of three chips, with only the CPU and chipset remaining. Intel claims this translates to a 60% smaller footprint for netbooks and mobile Internet devices.

The new platform for netbooks consists of the N450 processor and the low-power NM10 Express chipset. Vendors building entry-level desktops have recourse to the Atom D410 or dual-core D510 processor using the same chipset.

The most energy-efficient of the three, the N450, provides a core with 512 KBytes L2 cache. Intel gives a benchmark for power consumption of a thermal design power (TDP) of 7 watts for the total package including chipset. The single-core D410 also provides the 512-KByte L2 cache, with a 12-watt TDP. The dual-processor D510 has 1 MByte L2 cache with a 15-watt TDP. All chips have the 1.66-GHz processor frequency in common. Prices should be available in January. Further details on the new chip microarchitecture are on Intel's technology webpage.

End of last week ARM Ltd and Canonical Ltd announced that they would port Linux to the ARMv7 processor architecture. If all goes well, the two collaborating firms should provide further hardware manufacturers with the basis to develop new, energy-efficient mobile devices, especially for the popular netbooks and so-called hybrid computers.